


The Best Worst Advice

by BaronVonChop



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bodhi Rook Deserves to be Happy, Everyone survived Rogue One, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29934108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronVonChop/pseuds/BaronVonChop
Summary: Bodhi has a crush on Luke but doesn't know how to tell him, so he goes to Chirrut and Baze for advice.
Relationships: Bodhi Rook/Luke Skywalker, Chirrut Îmwe/Baze Malbus
Kudos: 5





	The Best Worst Advice

Bodhi really liked Luke.

He enjoyed being around the farmboy, talking about flying, sharing stories, or tinkering under the hoods of the Rebel ships. Luke even seemed to enjoy the rations served in the mess hall, or at least he never complained about them when they ate together. Sometimes the others would join them for meals, but Bodhi always seemed to end up sitting next to or across from Luke, talking and laughing. Luke had a bright smile, a cute laugh, and some of the most beautiful eyes Bodhi had ever seen. Best of all was the way he would call out “Bodhi!” whenever he caught sight of him and hurry his steps to come over and talk.

But Luke the farmboy was also Luke Skywalker.

Luke Skywalker, who had rescued Princess Leia Organa from the clutches of Governor Tarkin. Luke Skywalker, who had flown against Darth Vader and lived. Luke Skywalker, who had blown up the Death Star with an X-Wing. He wore a lightsaber on his belt and would sometimes meditate in a clearing near the base. People were whispering that the Force was with him.

So what to do?

He could admit to himself that he had a crush on Luke. Maybe it was more than just a crush. But how could he confess his feelings to someone like Skywalker? Why would one of the Rebel Alliance’s most famous heroes want to date him?

* * *

He went to Chirrut for advice.

“Oh, with a man like that, it’s not enough to just tell them,” Chirrut said with a sigh. “You have to court them.”

“Like you did with Baze?” Bodhi asked with a quick half-smile.

Chirrut heard the smile in Bodhi’s voice and smiled back. “You’d better believe it! When you declare your love, you can’t hold anything back. You have to find the right place, the perfect moment, and then, tell him with words that capture the feeling in your heart.” He placed his hands on Bodhi’s shoulders. “Take the time to really convey what you feel.”

Bodhi gulped. “What, you mean like poetry?”

Chirrut nodded. He took his hands from Bodhi’s shoulders and placed a hand over his own heart. “If at all possible, yes.”

Bodhi tried to tell from the small smile lingering on Chirrut’s face whether he was being serious. “Did you woo Baze with poetry?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t guess it to look at him, but Baze loves poetry!” Chirrut declared.

Bodhi managed a chuckle. “I don’t know if I can manage poetry. It may not be my style…”

Chirrut’s face grew serious. “Remember, you’ll only have one chance to tell him for the first time. You’ll have the rest of your life to think about what you might have done better, so make sure you get it right!”

Bodhi grew quiet for several moments, thinking. “What did you do with Baze?”

Chirrut lifted his face, a nostalgic smile on his face. “It was on his birthday. We were both novice monks, and I took on extra chores all day so that we could have the evening to ourselves. That was our favorite time of day, when the light would turn golden as it shone between the buildings of Jedha. Baze would describe it to me in the most beautiful way…”

Bodhi couldn’t help but gape at the thought. “Baze?”

Chirrut grinned for a second, then continued. “So I brought him to his favorite spot, a small courtyard tucked away near the temple where we would sometimes spar. I had prepared a small picnic, with his favorite sweet buns and a bottle of juice to share. I read him the poem while we ate and drank, and then we kissed, our lips still sticky sweet…” His face had a faraway look.

“Do you still remember the poem?” Bodhi asked, in case he could take inspiration from it.

Chirrut nudged him in the ribs. “Oh no you don’t! That poem is for Baze and Baze only. You’ll have to come up with your own.”

Bodhi frowned. “What if I can’t?”

“Well, you won’t be able to with that attitude! Try this: find a nice, quiet spot, close your eyes, picture Luke’s face, and write how you feel.”

“I feel… good,” Bodhi said. “That’s not much of a poem.”

Chirrut shook his head. “You’re supposed to find a quiet place first! Take your time with it, and don’t rush. He’s worth it, right?”

“Yeah, I mean, of course he is,” Bodhi sighed. He hesitated. “I just… kind of want this to be over with, so that we can start our relationship.” He quirked his lips. “Or so he can shoot me down and put me out of my misery. Either way, really.”

Chirrut’s laugh was soft and kind. “I don’t think you have to worry about that too much. And if you want, you can run your poem past me first. Use lots of comparisons! Your hair is like… your skin is like… that sort of thing.”

Bodhi groaned.

* * *

He spent an hour wandering the base trying to find the right place to start working on his poem. Or, if not a poem, a heartfelt speech declaring his feelings. Or, if not a speech, then... what?

He found Baze in the equipment bay, doing some maintenance on his blaster.

“That’s easy,” Baze said once Bodhi had related the situation to him. “Tell him.”

“Yes, but what should I tell him?” Bodhi asked. It was hard to keep the whine out of his voice.

Baze kept his eyes on his work, twisting a capacitor back into his backpack power unit. “Just come right out and tell him how you feel. You want him to know, right?”

Bodhi had to nod. “Yeah… of course I do. But--”

Baze grunted as the capacitor locked into place. “But nothing. Don’t overthink it. Once you tell him, he’ll either say he likes you too, in which case congratulations, or he’ll say he doesn’t like you that way, in which case you can move on.”

Bodhi let out of a protracted moan of despair.

Baze slid the panel on his backpack closed and pointed a tool at Bodhi. “Hey, if he’s not interested, then he’s got bad judgement, and you wouldn’t want to date someone with bad judgement, right?”

Bodhi sank down against the nearest wall and put his hands over his face. “It can’t be that simple.”

“Why not?” Baze shrugged. “That’s how I did it, and it worked for me.”

Bodhi looked back at Baze. “You told Chirrut?”

Baze grinned, all teeth. “I sure did. We were in the temple kitchens peeling vegetables. I looked over at him and saw how hard he was concentrating on scraping off every scrap of peel, and I knew right then that I wanted him to know. So I told him. And he liked me too, and so,” he turned his hands palm up, “there you go. Simple.”

“You told Chirrut first?” Bodhi asked.

“Of course.”

“So there was no… poetry?”

Baze’s face gave nothing away. “Poetry?”

“Chirrut said he read you poetry.”

Baze thought back. “Yes, there may have been some poetry at one point. I seem to remember sticky buns.”

Bodhi stood, beginning to smile despite himself. “Before or after you told him?”

“After,” Baze said, decisive. Then he cocked his head and ran a hand over his beard. “Probably.”

Bodhi smiled wider and shook his head. “Okay.”

“Besides,” Baze said, “if he has the Force, he has to know already, right?”

Bodhi’s smile wavered. “Do you think so?”

Baze just shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t really change things either way. You should still tell him.”

Bodhi took a breath and blew it out. “Right. Okay.”

Baze studied Bodhi. “Do you have what you need?”

Bodhi grimaced. “I hope so.”

* * *

Bodhi looked around the base for Luke, but he could not find him in the mess hall, the hangar, or the clearing where he liked to meditate. The longer Bodhi looked, the more he started to second-guess himself. Was he willing to risk their friendship? What if Luke never looked at him the same way again?

Bodhi decided to give up on finding Luke for now and headed back toward his quarters. As he turned a corner, he nearly bumped into Luke. “Bodhi!” Luke said, and smiled that smile.

“Luke,” Bodhi stammered. His brain was having a hard time connecting to his mouth. But he had to say something, didn’t he? “I… how are you?” Hardly poetry, and not at all what he wanted to say. Both Chirrut and Baze would be disappointed in him.

Luke lowered his eyes. “I’m glad I ran into you.”

It felt like the corridor was getting warmer. “You are?”

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.” Luke glanced at Bodhi’s face for a moment before looking down again. “I’m glad I’ve gotten to spend time with you.” He took one of Bodhi’s hands in both of his. “I wanted to say… I like you. And I hope you like me, too.”

“Oh.” Bodhi could almost see Chirrut and Baze in his mind’s eye, both facepalming. “I mean… good. Because… I do. Like you. Too.”

Luke breathed a relieved sigh. “I’m glad.”

Bodhi smiled, broad and wide. “Chirrut and Baze aren’t going to believe this.”

Luke’s eyebrows rose. “Chirrut and Baze?”

Bodhi squeezed Luke’s hand. “I’ll tell you later.”

They both laughed, though neither could entirely say why.


End file.
